Feeder



W F. EASTER.

FEEDER. I APPLICATION FILED FEB. 2, I920. 1,368,?98, Patented Feb. 15, 13211.

re s.

W FRANK EASTER, OF MARSHALLTOW'N, IOWA, ASSIGNOR TO DEN ALEXANDER I MOMILLAN, OF MAESHALLTOWN', IOWA.

FEEDER.

Specification of Letters Patent.-

Patented Feb. 15, 1921.

Application filed February 2, 1920. Serial No. 355,837.

To all to from it may con-coma:

Be it known that 1, WV FRANK EASTER, a

citizen of the United States of America,

and resident of Marshalltown, Marshall county, Iowa, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Feeders, of which the following is a specification. The object of this invention is to provide an improved"construction for feeders. v

A further object'o-f this invention is to provide improved means of suspending doors relative to a trough in such manner as to protect the contents of the trough from rain, snow and the like and at the same time permit an animal feeding in said trough to withdraw a foot from beneath one of said doors where it has been accidentally caught.

My invention consists in the construction, arrangement and combination of elements hereinafter set forth ,-pointjed out in the claims and illustrated by the accompanying drawing, in whicl 1 Figure l is a side elevation of a feeder embodying my improvements. Fig. 2 is a cross-section on the indicated line 22 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a detail side elevation of a portion of the feeder, one of the doors being broken away to reveal interior construction. K

In the construction of the device as shown the numerals 10, 11 designate supports, such as skids, on which a floor 12 is mounted and secured. End walls 13, 14 are fixed to and rise from end portions of the floor 12 and one or more partitions 15 are arranged between said end walls and extendvertically.

Each of the partitions 15 is of substantially inverted A-shape and side walls 16, 17 are secured to converging sides of said partitions and also are secured to the end walls 13. 1 1.

AQridge-pole 18 is fixed to and carried by central portions of the upper ends of the end walls and partitions and roof members 19, 20 are fixed in oppositely sloping relation to said ridge-pole and side walls and overlap the same as well as said end walls. Door members 21 are hinged to selected roof members 20 and are adapted to occupy, when closed, inclined positions flush with said roof members 20. Front rails 22, 23 are mounted on the side portions of the floor 12 and extend from one end wall to the other, the inner margins of said rails forming obtuse angles with the upper surface of the floor. Spacing strips 2e are mounted on the floor 12 and extend transversely thereof between the rails 22, 23 and also extend beneath the side walls 16, 17. The spacing strips are spaced apart and from the endnwalls and serve to subdivide the trough portion (consistingof the floor, rails and end walls) into suitable compartments for convenience in feeding. The magazine portion (formed in part by the side walls 16, 17) preferably does not extend below the upper margin of the central portions of the spacing strips 24:, and said spacing strips are inclined from said walls to the rails 22, 23, thus providing spaces between the fioor and side walls for the discharge of feed from the magazine to the trough by gravity flow. Crates 25 (two of which are shown in Fig. 2, and one in Fig.3) are provided, each of such length and width as to cover a space between the floor 12 and a side wall and between spacing strips or between a spacing strip and an end wall. Each gate is provided with a stem 26 having a longitudinal slot 27 and said stem extends upwardly across the inclined outer surface of a side wall 16, 17 and is secured by a bolt28, one for each stem 26, mounted through the side walls, its head being within the magazine, and extending through a slot 27. Each bolt is provided with a washer 29 and awing nut 30 on its outer end portion adapted for manual adjustment. It is the function of each gate to regulate, control and determine the flow of feed from the magazine toward the rail 22, or 23 and such function is carried out by manual ad justment of said gate toward closed or open position through the medium of the bolt 28 and wing nut 30. Longitudinal bars 31, 32 are mounted parallel with and above the rails 22, 23 and are suitably secured to the end walls 13, 14: and sidewalls 16, 17 and said bars may be of any suitable size or construction. Rows of hangers such as screw-eyes 33 are mounted in and depend from the bars 31, 32 and the eyes thereof are in register in said rows and also in register with holes cut in the end walls. The screw-eyes 33 preferably are spaced apart and from the end walls equally and said screw-eves correspond in number, in each row, with the spacing strips 2% and preferably are located in the same vertical planes with said strips. The end walls 13,

feeding space on each side of the feeder.

Each door preferably is formed with a channel 39 made of sheet metal and embracing. the lower end of the door and secured thereto. Also each door preferably is formed with a hanger 40 made of sheet metal, of channel form or U-shape, mounted in embracing relation on and secured to the upper margin of the door. The curved central portion of the hanger 4-0 is spaced fronr the upper margin "of the door, a distance greater than the diameter of either 1'0 111%, 35 and he diameter of thesaid rods preferably'is less than the inner diameter of the eyes. Thus provision is made for hanging the doors on the rods between the screweyes and between some of the screw-eyes and therend walls in such manner that the doors may articulate on said rods. Normally the doors 3S hang vertically and in such position protect the contents of the trough from rain, snow and the like.

Either door may be moved outward and up ward through an are away from the gate. in the-rear thereof for C011V61118I1l3 adjustment and manipulation of sa1d gate.

Feeding hogs, sheep and the like may gain access to the feeding compartments by pushing any door selectively inward and when the animal withdraws and relaxes the pushing force. the doors assume their original vertical positions. Sometimes it occurs that an animalplants a foot in a feeding V compartment and upon attempting to withdraw the same it is caught'between the lower margin of the doorand the adjacent rail 22 or In that event the animal, applying continued strain, lifts the door and swings it outward overthe rail, as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 2, thus releasing the foot without n'iaterial hurt. This-operation is permitted by the freedom of movement provided in two relations, viz., the difference in diameter between the rods and screw-eyes and the-spacing of the curved portions of the hangers .40 from the upper margins of the doors a distance reater" than the diameter of the rods.

I claim as-my invention 1. In a feeder having a trough and a magazine spaced relative to and supplying feed to said trough, an alining row of eyes carried bysaid magazine, rods mounted in" said eyes and having a 'freed'onr ofdiag metrical movement therein, and doors mounted for oscillation andalso for reciprocation on said rods and adapted to swingover side portions of said trough.

2. In a feeder having a trough'and' a magazine spaced relative toand supplying feed to said trough, said magazine being provided with a roof having means jofiingress, end walls connecting said troughand magazine, bars connecting said end" walls alongside of said magazine, eyes depending from said bars,said end walls being formed withholes registering with. said eyes, rods mounted'in said eyes and holes and having a freedom of diametrical movement therein, and doors mounted for os'cillatlonfand also for reciprocation on said rods a nd adapte'd;

to swing over side portions of saidtrough. Signed at Marshalltown, ln-tlie county. of

Marshall and State of Iowa, this Zetday of January, 1920. 

